diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/README.md b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/README.md
index 44386b2bcbaf6..738187aa31731 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/README.md
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/README.md
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ taskDefinition.addContainer('container', {
   },
   secrets: { // Retrieved from AWS Secrets Manager or AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store at container start-up.
     SECRET: ecs.Secret.fromSecretsManager(secret),
+    DB_PASSWORD: ecs.Secret.fromSecretsManager(dbSecret, 'password'), // Reference a specific JSON field
     PARAMETER: ecs.Secret.fromSsmParameter(parameter),
   }
 });
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/container-definition.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/container-definition.ts
index 2687e6ad9cdb9..e876f31fc730e 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/container-definition.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/lib/container-definition.ts
@@ -26,10 +26,16 @@ export abstract class Secret {
   /**
    * Creates a environment variable value from a secret stored in AWS Secrets
    * Manager.
+   *
+   * @param secret the secret stored in AWS Secrets Manager
+   * @param field the name of the field with the value that you want to set as
+   * the environment variable value. Only values in JSON format are supported.
+   * If you do not specify a JSON field, then the full content of the secret is
+   * used.
    */
-  public static fromSecretsManager(secret: secretsmanager.ISecret): Secret {
+  public static fromSecretsManager(secret: secretsmanager.ISecret, field?: string): Secret {
     return {
-      arn: secret.secretArn,
+      arn: field ? `${secret.secretArn}:${field}::` : secret.secretArn,
       grantRead: grantee => secret.grantRead(grantee),
     };
   }
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.secret-json-key.expected.json b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.secret-json-key.expected.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..1a8e791bff7e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.secret-json-key.expected.json
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+{
+  "Resources": {
+    "SecretA720EF05": {
+      "Type": "AWS::SecretsManager::Secret",
+      "Properties": {
+        "GenerateSecretString": {
+          "GenerateStringKey": "password",
+          "SecretStringTemplate": "{\"username\":\"user\"}"
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "TaskDefTaskRole1EDB4A67": {
+      "Type": "AWS::IAM::Role",
+      "Properties": {
+        "AssumeRolePolicyDocument": {
+          "Statement": [
+            {
+              "Action": "sts:AssumeRole",
+              "Effect": "Allow",
+              "Principal": {
+                "Service": "ecs-tasks.amazonaws.com"
+              }
+            }
+          ],
+          "Version": "2012-10-17"
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "TaskDef54694570": {
+      "Type": "AWS::ECS::TaskDefinition",
+      "Properties": {
+        "ContainerDefinitions": [
+          {
+            "Essential": true,
+            "Image": "amazon/amazon-ecs-sample",
+            "Name": "web",
+            "Secrets": [
+              {
+                "Name": "PASSWORD",
+                "ValueFrom": {
+                  "Fn::Join": [
+                    "",
+                    [
+                      {
+                        "Ref": "SecretA720EF05"
+                      },
+                      ":password::"
+                    ]
+                  ]
+                }
+              }
+            ]
+          }
+        ],
+        "Cpu": "512",
+        "ExecutionRoleArn": {
+          "Fn::GetAtt": [
+            "TaskDefExecutionRoleB4775C97",
+            "Arn"
+          ]
+        },
+        "Family": "awsecsintegsecretjsonkeyTaskDefC01C0E99",
+        "Memory": "1024",
+        "NetworkMode": "awsvpc",
+        "RequiresCompatibilities": [
+          "FARGATE"
+        ],
+        "TaskRoleArn": {
+          "Fn::GetAtt": [
+            "TaskDefTaskRole1EDB4A67",
+            "Arn"
+          ]
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "TaskDefExecutionRoleB4775C97": {
+      "Type": "AWS::IAM::Role",
+      "Properties": {
+        "AssumeRolePolicyDocument": {
+          "Statement": [
+            {
+              "Action": "sts:AssumeRole",
+              "Effect": "Allow",
+              "Principal": {
+                "Service": "ecs-tasks.amazonaws.com"
+              }
+            }
+          ],
+          "Version": "2012-10-17"
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "TaskDefExecutionRoleDefaultPolicy0DBB737A": {
+      "Type": "AWS::IAM::Policy",
+      "Properties": {
+        "PolicyDocument": {
+          "Statement": [
+            {
+              "Action": "secretsmanager:GetSecretValue",
+              "Effect": "Allow",
+              "Resource": {
+                "Ref": "SecretA720EF05"
+              }
+            }
+          ],
+          "Version": "2012-10-17"
+        },
+        "PolicyName": "TaskDefExecutionRoleDefaultPolicy0DBB737A",
+        "Roles": [
+          {
+            "Ref": "TaskDefExecutionRoleB4775C97"
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.secret-json-key.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.secret-json-key.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c7f7073512b98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/fargate/integ.secret-json-key.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import * as secretsmanager from '@aws-cdk/aws-secretsmanager';
+import * as cdk from '@aws-cdk/core';
+import * as ecs from '../../lib';
+
+const app = new cdk.App();
+const stack = new cdk.Stack(app, 'aws-ecs-integ-secret-json-key');
+
+const secret = new secretsmanager.Secret(stack, 'Secret', {
+  generateSecretString: {
+    generateStringKey: 'password',
+    secretStringTemplate: JSON.stringify({ username: 'user' })
+  }
+});
+
+const taskDefinition = new ecs.FargateTaskDefinition(stack, 'TaskDef', {
+  memoryLimitMiB: 1024,
+  cpu: 512
+});
+
+taskDefinition.addContainer('web', {
+  image: ecs.ContainerImage.fromRegistry('amazon/amazon-ecs-sample'),
+  secrets: {
+    PASSWORD: ecs.Secret.fromSecretsManager(secret, 'password')
+  }
+});
+
+app.synth();
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/test.container-definition.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/test.container-definition.ts
index f5da5559c5d1b..69809a149d6fd 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/test.container-definition.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-ecs/test/test.container-definition.ts
@@ -799,6 +799,50 @@ export = {
 
   },
 
+  'use a specific secret JSON key as environment variable'(test: Test) {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+    const taskDefinition = new ecs.Ec2TaskDefinition(stack, 'TaskDef');
+
+    const secret = new secretsmanager.Secret(stack, 'Secret');
+
+    // WHEN
+    taskDefinition.addContainer('cont', {
+      image: ecs.ContainerImage.fromRegistry('test'),
+      memoryLimitMiB: 1024,
+      secrets: {
+        SECRET_KEY: ecs.Secret.fromSecretsManager(secret, 'specificKey'),
+      }
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(stack).to(haveResourceLike('AWS::ECS::TaskDefinition', {
+      ContainerDefinitions: [
+        {
+          Secrets: [
+            {
+              Name: 'SECRET_KEY',
+              ValueFrom: {
+                'Fn::Join': [
+                  '',
+                  [
+                    {
+                      Ref: 'SecretA720EF05'
+                    },
+                    ':specificKey::'
+                  ]
+                ]
+              }
+            },
+          ]
+        }
+      ]
+    }));
+
+    test.done();
+
+  },
+
   'can add AWS logging to container definition'(test: Test) {
     // GIVEN
     const stack = new cdk.Stack();